


A simple kiss

by blue_nebulae



Series: One shot lives [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Growing Old Together, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, Hate to Love, I'm Sorry, It's a Wonderful Life, Kiss Kiss Fall in Love, Love, Love/Hate, Please Don't Hate Me, Romance, Slice of Life, True Love, grow up, learning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 20:50:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11089665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_nebulae/pseuds/blue_nebulae
Summary: At age seven, Gendry took Arya's first kiss and gained her hatred. Ten years later, she took her first kiss back from him.





	A simple kiss

It was a desperate measure, honestly. Never in his life he thought this was going to have an impact on his life, nor did he thought this was something bad.

 

Why?

 

Because at age seven, Gendry Baratheon, kissed five-year-old Arya Stark. At age seven he took Arya Stark’s first kiss, and she took his but wasn’t the point.

 

Don’t think wrong, it was only to shut her up.

 

It all happened during the holidays, his family, for years, had been invited to spend the holidays at the Stark House since their parents were really good friends since childhood, almost like brothers.

 

Probably Gendry ruined everything now, probably both families are going to hate each other from that moment on. He didn’t really think about it when the event happened, but It crossed his mind with the after math of it.

 

His father and him, with all his brothers and sisters, went to the Stark’s. On morning the older boys, like him, his brother Edric, Robb Stark, Jon and Theon were playing football, like usual. But on this particular day, Arya Stark didn’t want to be with her sister Sansa and his sisters Mya and Bella doing whatever it is that girls do on family gatherings.

 

No, she wanted to play football with the older guys and they wouldn’t let her because she was so tiny. But boy was she stubborn, and then she just kept yelling at him how everything he did was done in the wrong way, and she just kept it on and on and on and at some point he snapped.

 

Truthfully, all he wanted to do was to stop the endless flow of words that came from her mouth. The endless, non-stop, continuous set of words, orders, complains and insults that Arya Stark produced were driving him insane.

 

So he followed an advice his father once told him.

 

_“If you want to shut up a girl, kiss her!”_

 

Of course, at seven years old Gendry didn’t understand the situations when that advice could be considered useful, he thought it was something you do at every single moment a girl would be complaining.

 

So he did it.

 

He grabbed both sides of Arya’s face and he leaned down to kiss her.

 

It probably only lasted two seconds, a very wide eyed open eyes two seconds where every single thing surrounding them came to a complete halt. Next thing he knew, someone kicked his shin and then punched him in the eye, at five years old Arya Stark had the strength to overcome a seven-year-old boy.

 

At seven years old, Gendry had his first kiss and also got his first black eye.

 

Next came the cheering of his father, Robert, calling him his proud son; Ned’s Stark surprised face; Theon’s wicked grin; Jon’s furious glare and a yell; Robb’s neutral face; Bran and Edric's stunned face; Sansa and Bella’s cooing; Mya’s glowering; Catelyn Stark laugh.  

 

Then the youngest ones came into the picture, Rickon Stark, very precocious at three, made an ewww sound, his twin brothers replicated along with his little sister Barra. It was a known fact, siblings of the age below four were in that stage of life where boys and girls hate each other.

 

It was the most embarrassing moment of his life, which came hand in hand with an entire holiday of endless teasing.

 

Eventually, Arya’s brothers understood what he was trying to do, somehow understanding that the only advice he had of how to treat girls came from his womanizing father. And of course, Catelyn Stark in a very motherly way, explained to him that one shouldn’t go kissing girls because of something known as respect.

 

Also, Ned Stark apparently noticed that if Robert was the only adult guide in his children lives they were all doomed from the start. So Ned decided to be a little more involved, like the loving and wise uncle of them, and since Gendry was always around his house because of his friendship with Jon, Robb and Theon, the subsequent years were followed of fatherly advices provided by that honourable man.

 

Apparently the whole world moved on from the event known as “the day he took Arya’s first kiss”, how Mya called it, but ever since that day he was the blank of Arya Stark’s glare.

 

Ten years passed from that day.

 

In those ten years he learned a lot of things.

 

Like the first and most important, Arya Stark would never forgive him and that she hated him with everything she had.

 

He learnt that his father was an idiot and that he should never follow any woman’s advice that came from his mouth.

 

Next thing he learnt, was that a girl’s first kiss was very important. The knowledge came with the talk his older sister Mya gave him after that day, and also what he learned along the endless number of chick flicks his sisters forced him to watch during the years.

 

Apparently, Arya knew the importance of such event before him, and that’s why she hated him that much. In ten years she had not forgiven him.

 

He had tried to earn her forgiveness in those ten years. He was always nice to hear, tried to help her every time the opportunity showed, always got her great birthday presents and well, he did everything he could! Nonetheless, she would always glare at him, grunt in response, avoid him, ignore him or just insult him and all of that caused him a pain in his chest that as a young kid he couldn’t quite understand.

 

At seventeen years old, Gendry grew and learnt things, he had a much wiser vision of life. Not only did he grow up mentally, his appearance also changed, he was no longer a kid but a very tall and big teenager, who many girls considered to be very handsome with his shaggy black hair, thick brows and blue eyes and his big size meant he would not be beaten up by a girl again.

 

Arya Stark also grew up, she was no longer a skinny, short, boyish looking girl. Now she was a very, pretty, long hair, still short, greyed eyed fifteen-year-old girl. A girl who still held a grudge against him no matter what he did, but at this point in his life he had resigned to be hated by her, it was something he would have to live with.

 

So now, ten years after the incident he was still hated by the same girl, he still spent every holiday at the Stark house and now he was one of the stars of his high school football’s team, along Robb, Jon and Theon.

 

And now, as part of the team, he had to participate and collaborate with whatever thing his high school organised for charity.

 

“Gendry, you’re doing it too!”

 

“Why me?!”

 

The cheerleading squad arranged a “kissing booth”. For the prize of two golden dragons you get a kiss from one of the cheerleaders. Mya and Bella were cheerleaders, along with Sansa Stark, who was the one giving out the kisses and the main reason the Starks, and Theon who wasn’t a Stark but was raised along them, wanted to participate.

 

“It wouldn’t be the first time you kiss one of our sisters!” yup, they still used that against him.

 

“It’s only a kiss on the cheek” Sansa grinned this time, and Arya Stark was glaring at him again. She wasn’t even a cheerleader, but she was helping her sister run the booth since none of the other girls were available because they were all helping at the different money gathering activities.

      

And first, it was the Starks who collaborated to gain a crowd, receiving a kiss on the cheek from their sister, which was praised by everyone and managed to get them a pretty family picture, taken by Theon, that surely Catelyn Stark would hang on the wall. It also served to gain them enough attention to have a line of applicants of very desperate teenagers. The Starks were a popular crowd, all of them. Then it was Theon’s turn and next was his turn.

 

He didn’t want a kiss on the cheek from Sansa Stark and Arya was still piercing him with her furious glare. The events of his first kiss made him terrified of everything involving kissing any of the Starks.

 

“I’m not really sure if I should be the one doing it. I guess for all time’s sake it should be Arya the one doing it” and in that moment, he declared that Sansa Stark was mental, apparently Arya thought it too

 

Robb and Theon apparently thought it was a great idea, Jon just grunted and glared at them. By this time Arya was banging her head against the table and he was completely frozen in place.

 

“Arya, it’s for charity!” Sansa tried to reason this unreasonable request with her sister “Think of it as the first time!” and something in Arya Stark snapped at that.

 

She raised from her seat and Theon pushed him forward, and Robb placed the two golden dragons in his hand to pay up for the kiss, money he absentmindedly placed on the small box that said “funds” on the desk that separated them.

 

“Alright!” Arya suddenly said, still glaring at him and the only thing he could do was open his eyes wide.

 

“Kiss the girl!” he heard a yell, not knowing from who it came.

 

Next thing he knew, Arya Stark grabbed him by the collards of his jacket and pulled him down and when they were at eye level he could see the fury in her eyes and also a bit of blue in those grey eyes of her, that shocked him as much as this whole act.

 

“You stole my first kiss!” she glowered at him

 

“I didn’t know! I only wanted to shut you up!” the strength in her grip tightened, apparently that was not the right thing to say…

 

“You are stupid!”

 

“I know! I’ve been trying to make it up to you for the past ten years!”

 

Her eyes flickered at something that crossed her mind, a very complex thought he may assume since girls were the most complicated creatures of this planet, that he was sure of.

 

“Ten years ago you took my first kiss!” he gulped as she showed him a wicked grin “Now I’m taking it back”

 

Her argument was very childish not that he could think much of it now, as she pulled him down and placed her lips against his. It was soft, tender, sweet and all things girly.

 

He was older and far wiser from the seven-year-old kiss stealer he was before. However, seventeen-year-old Gendry’s brain stopped functioning, something that didn’t happen the first time.

 

This time his eyes closed, his brain shut down, he heard fireworks and he was sure this was the best thing he had experienced in his life.

 

Apparently, every time they kissed it still caused the world to freeze because everyone went quiet again, unknown to him because all he did was place his arms around Arya’s tiny waist wanting to pull her closer to him but that goddamn table in between didn’t let him.

 

The quiet lasted a second because next thing that happened was Sansa cooing and taking pictures with her goddamn iPhone, Robb and Theon catcalling, people cheering and Jon yelled at them to stop.

 

Jon’s threatening yell was what broke them apart, also the necessity to breath, as both looked at each other with dazed eyes, and he smiled because now it seemed that kissing Arya stark was something that could be considered a wonderful thing.

 

“Want to get out of here?” he asked and she smirked, before taking his hand and they went off running with Jon chasing after them.

 

They spent the whole day skipping class and making out in hiding.

 

When school day was over and they were heading out, hand in hand, Jon punched him in the face as Sansa yelled at him to stop.

 

He also learned that kissing Arya Stark would manage to give him a black eye again but if it was the price he had to pay, he didn’t mind at all.

 

At fifteen-year-old, Arya Stark managed to claim her first kiss back and seventeen-year-old Gendry managed to get his first girlfriend.

 

It took Sansa and Robb Stark for him to find out that ever since that day, ten years ago, Arya Stark held a crush on him and all that kissing booth set up was a plan, they made up with the help of Theon, Mya and Bella, for them both to finally do something about the obvious feelings they both harboured about each other. Apparently the only one who didn’t know about it, nor suspected both teens held such feelings, which both of them denied, over each other was Jon.

 

And just like that, they became boyfriend and girlfriend.

 

His sisters were thrilled, saying it was something that came straight out of a chick flick; Catelyn and Ned Stark liked the idea, apparently both knowing it was something that would happen eventually; his father Robert congratulated him and knew this was meant to happen since Baratheons always got the girl; Sansa was proud this was all thanks to her; Theon gave him condoms; Jon threatened to murder him if he ever hurt Arya; Bran congratulated him; Edric asked for girl advice; Rickon and Barra didn’t understood the big deal of it all; the twins though it was all silly high school stuff.

 

Two years later, Gendry was a nineteen-year-old teenager with a seventeen-year-old girlfriend.

 

He had never been a jealous guy, nor a jealous boyfriend ever since he acquired a girl two years ago, but he discovered it today.

 

And who made him jealous?

 

Not, who because it was two different things. Jon and the dog he gave to Arya.

 

Jon came for a visit from the military base he was stationed, joining after they finished high school, and as a present he brought a puppy for Arya, a sister of the dog Jon had back in his house by The Wall.

 

For the past days Arya’s undivided attention was on Jon and that dog she named Nymeria. He knew he was being an ass, acting like that, but he couldn’t help it.

 

“is something wrong?” she asked him as she played on the floor with the dog, Jon finally leaving for his bedroom upstairs.

 

“No” he lied, she always knew when he was lying.

 

“If so, why are you frowning?” she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“It’s stupid”

 

“You’re stupid” she laughed, finally placing the dog on the floor and raising herself up to seat next to him on the couch “But that’s something I like about you” and she leaned in to kiss him.

 

In those two years he also discovered he was addicted to Arya’s kisses and that one kiss from her could make him forget everything, even when he was mad at her, even when she did nothing wrong and he was acting stupid.

 

He was selfish, and stupid but she loved him anyway and he was grateful.

 

Somehow she kissed him even harder and his hands managed to pull her against him and next thing she was straddling him in the couch. It was glorious and for once she forgot about that dog, puppy he actually liked except when she got all Arya’s undivided attention.

 

“Hey!” there was a bark, a human bark that came from Jon as he was coming down the stairs to the scene of his little sister and him making out on the couch “No kissing in the house!” she pulled away from him, and Jon’s shoe landed on his forehead.

 

At nineteen years old, Gendry discovered he was a jealous boyfriend and got a bump in his forehead for kissing seventeen-year-old Arya Stark. Kissing Arya was something that resembled extreme sports for all the bruising it got him, but it was totally worth it.

 

When he was twenty years old, eighteen-year-old Arya Stark moved in with him.

 

It all happened,well he didn’t know how it happened actually.

 

It all came when Arya started applying to universities and he dreaded, but didn’t tell her, the fact that she might be accepted somewhere far and decided to leave. He loved her, had told her so several times, and didn’t want to be away from her, and he was sure she loved him back, even when she had never said it, but he couldn’t cut her wings if she wanted to study faraway.

 

Arya was smart and talented; she was accepted everywhere but it was a surprise when she announced she was going to attend college here in Winterfell. All her family was surprised, everyone thought she would end up attending a place faraway like Braavos or Dorne.

 

But no, she wanted to stay close to home and surprised everyone, again, when she said she wasn’t going to move into campus neither continuing living at her parent’s house.

 

It happened on a Tuesday when she showed up on his job announcing “On Friday, I’m moving in with you” just like that.

 

It was shocking, and earned him a very angry call from Jon. Just a few months back Gendry had moved into a new apartment in the city closer to his job, his own auto shop, and because he was still attending college himself.

 

Arya said the reason behind it was that she wanted to live closer to college since her parents lived in the outskirts of town, and because she wanted more independence. Her parents reluctantly agreed, knowing that if Arya sets her mind on something, nothing would stop her.

 

And that was how eighteen-year-old Arya decided she was going to move in with him.

 

She moved in, brought her stuff and Theon gave them as a present three condom boxes; Sansa and his sisters loved the idea they were still together; Robb said he trusted him; Bran asked if he could crash at their place from time to time; and Jon threatened to kill him if he ever hurt Arya and Jon's girlfriend, Ygritte, just said "you know nothing, Jon Snow" while she hit him in the back of the head.

 

Gendry, at twenty years old, had never in his life spent a night, a whole night, with eighteen-year-old Arya Stark.

 

Why?

 

Because when he was younger he knew that, even if they were a couple, she was still underage and he respected her far too to much to ruin it. Also, the fact that Jon threatened to slice his throat had something to do with it too.

 

Now, she was of age and she was going to live with him. He was very nervous and looking forward to this moment. So once their house warming party was done and once he was done placing all of Arya’s boxes he went to his, their, room and found her in nothing but one of his T-shirts waiting for him with a wicked grin in her face, one very similar to the one she sported the day they kissed for the second time.

 

His mind shut down again at the sight of Arya in his bed and he dived into her arms. They kissed, unlike the times they had done before, this was heat and it burned every part of his body that came in touch with Arya’s.

 

They kissed, he made sure to love every part of her body and to make it the best he could do with his clumsy movements. He had never done this before, but his body apparently knew what to do.

 

He wanted to take his time, make sure it was all pleasurable for her and memorize every part of her as he kissed every inch of her body and learned all her sensitive spots. He felt her gasp of pain when he first entered her, he made sure to be gentle and soft their first time. They would have many others to learn and be more adventurous and wild, this time was all for her.

 

When they were done, she was resting against him when she said it for the first time.

 

“You know I love you, don’t you?”

 

He smirked, knowing that of course she would say it in the least romantic way but that’s why he loved her. He would show her how much he loved her, because he had said it so many times before but it didn’t matter, he would never get tired of repeating it.

 

It was that night when twenty-year-old Gendry and eighteen-year-old Arya lost their virginity to each other.

 

When Gendry was twenty-two years old he decided he wanted more in his life, something more serious and he knew exactly what he needed to do to achieve it.

 

The day went on as normal, twenty-year-old Arya arrived from classes around dinner time and he was cooking away in the kitchen. She came in just like usual, placed her arms around his waist and kissed him on the back of his neck as a greeting before she went to the fridge to get something.

 

He planned it all, nothing over the top, something just… them.

 

It was when she went to seat at the kitchen table when she noticed it, the ring placed on her plate and gasped. When she turned around, he was already on one knee in front of her.

 

“Arya Stark, ever since you were five you’ve been it for me. You would make me the happiest man alive if you accept to be my wife”

 

In the span of seconds, she grabbed him by the collards of his shirt, pulled him up and kissed him. It was soft, tender, all things girly again and it was wet and salty. When they pulled away she was crying happy tears and he was smiling.

 

“Is that a yes?”

 

“Of course it is, you stupid bull” and this time he pulled her into a kiss.

 

Of course he forgot about the stove he left on and the special dinner he had plan burnt and the smoke triggered the fire alarm. Luckily, there was no fire since both managed to open the windows and vent the place. They went out to celebrate their engagement at their favourite pizza place, because romance was not their thing.

 

Next day, they announced to everyone in their family and friends circle about the great news that twenty-year-old Arya Stark was engaged to twenty-two-year-old Gendry Baratheon.

 

Of course, Jon threatened to kill him, again, if he ever hurt Arya; Sansa, Mya and Bella considered his proposal the most romantic thing ever; Ned and Catelyn congratulated him and proclaimed how happy they were about the news; Robert said he was so proud of his son for getting the girl of his dreams, making the Baratheon name proud; Rickon asked if it was okay if he went after Shireen Baratheon during the wedding since he had set his eyes on her ever since they were children; Bran was high when they told him the news; Edric asked again for girl's advice; Barra finally got herself into romance and cooed at the tale; the twins asked if they could have all the cake they wanted during the wedding and didn’t understand the whole deal about everything because it was something meant to happen.

 

A year later they wed, a small ceremony in her parent’s manor where the first step in their whole life relationship took place. It only made sense they sealed it in the same place.

 

He couldn’t help the smile that took upon his face when he saw her walking down the aisle.

 

When it was time to say his vows, the ones he wrote down years ago when he knew he wanted to marry her, she cried.

 

“Arya Stark, when you were five I kissed you here, in this place, and in my childish mind I didn’t know it would lead me to the same place years later. When you were fifteen, you took your first kiss back and it set off this whole adventure. I have loved you all my life, even when I didn’t realise it as a kid, but that’s the truth. I have loved you all my life and I’ll continue loving you for the rest of it”

 

By that moment, everyone was shedding tears and Arya said her vows.

 

“When you were seven, you took my first kiss. When you were seventeen I took it back from you. I have loved you since I was five, even when I despised you for stealing my first kiss I loved you. I love you even when you’re stupid and I’ll keep on doing it until the end” she smiled as she shed a tear of happiness.

 

When the priest announced it was time to seal it with a kiss, Gendry kissed Arya.

 

Twenty-three-year-old Gendry and twenty-one-year-old Arya were proclaimed husband and wife on the same spot he kissed her the first time.

 

Their parents clapped and shed tears; Sansa, Mya and Bella were no better, crying and calling them every romance novel goals; Robb and Theon were clapping, hollering and cheering them loudly; Jon was threatening him loudly again as Ygritte shut him up with hit on the back of the head; Robert was cheering louder than anyone; Barra was crying and joining the older sister club; Edric was a mess because he still needed girl advice; Bran was dead asleep because he was on finals in med school; the twins were sneaking up, trying to get into the kitchens; Rickon was trying to get Shireen’s attention and failing epically. 

 

A year later, when he was twenty-four he walked into the kitchen to find Arya making waffles. He went to kiss her good morning, prepared coffee and as he went to sit on the table he noticed something in his plate.

 

Not just something, but many things.

 

Five to be exact.

 

Five very positive pregnancy tests.

 

He was stunned and his brain shut down, like it usually did when important events concerning Arya were happening. But when he could react he jumped from his seat, in two strides was next to her pulling her away from the stove, turning her around and kissing her.

 

When they pulled apart she was smiling “Are you sure?”

 

“Yes, stupid. We’re having a baby” he spun her around in the air, both laughing as the fact that a tiny baby, the size of a bean, was inside her. Of course, Arya, at twenty two, forgot to turned the stove off and the waffles burned and the smoke alarm went off.

 

There was no need for the firefighters to come, because they managed turn the alarm off. Apparently they should find a new place for important events in their relationship to take place because their kitchen always implied smoke alarms.

 

A few months later; after announcing their news to everyone, they moved into a small house with a backyard and both decorated a nursery for the little boy they were expecting.

 

Of course Jon threatened him again when they told him about the baby and once again while he was helping them move into their new house; Sansa, Mya, Bella and Barra now, threw them a baby shower; Theon complained about the lack of use of the condoms he gave them; Robb gave them a baby moon trip; Robert proclaimed how happy he was to be a grandfather and told them they should have many many kids as Baratheon’s do; Ned and Catelyn were looking forward to babysit anytime because they wanted to conceit and pamper their grandchild when the time come; Edric finally go himself a girlfriend and was super happy about being a cool uncle; Rickon was now dating Shireen much to everyone’s surprise; the twins were still troublemakers and decided it was funny to ask every time they could how babies were made even when they were teenagers who already knew about it; Bran congratulated them and promised to never smoke pot near the baby and he was the one who answered the twins questions with the boring scientific explanations of baby making.

 

Months later, when he was twenty-five and Arya had just recently turned twenty-three their baby was born.

 

When he saw her, cradling their new born baby he was sure he had never felt happier. It was a tiny little thing, with a mop of black hair, whom they named after Arya’s father: Eddard “Ned” Stark.

 

“He has your eyes” she declared as she looked at him.

 

“He does?” it was surprising. Robert had claimed the Baratheon gene to be strong, but the Stark gene and Tully gene were strong too in his mind.

 

“Caught a glimpse of his eyes, they are blue” she smiled at him “I hope he ends up looking as handsome as you, but far more bright”

 

“Oh, I’m sure he’s going to be just like you in spirit, probably going to hate me during his early teenage years too when he hits that stage” he said as he sat next to her, hugging her with one arm and gently using his index finger to caress Ned’s tiny hand.

 

“Well, your younger self was pretty stupid and very easy to hate, but what he did lead us to this. Maybe, you weren’t so stupid after all” she chuckled and pecked him on the lips.

 

It wasn't soon before everyone barged into their room to congratulate them and meet the new member of the family.

 

This time Jon didn’t threatened him, but congratulated him and told him “Guess you are alright, after all”; Sansa, Mya, Bella and Barra were fighting for the godmother spot; Robb was there with his pregnant wife proclaiming how happy he was his baby was going to have a partner in crime while growing up; Theon brought presents which were several creative and not so appropriate baby onesies;Bran said he would be the baby's personal doctor after he finishes med school; Edric had just been dumped by his girlfriend and was in a grey mood until he met his nephew; Robert shed tears when he met his first grandchild, the same as Ned and both left to celebrate as old men do, with very expensive scotch; Catelyn was the most excited grandmother even when she threatened Rickon and Shireen to not get pregnant while they were still young; the twins discovered they were terrified of babies and went to have lunch by the cafeteria.

 

It was when everyone left, that Gendry realised again how lucky he was.

 

All he could do now was thank seven-year-old Gendry for kissing Arya Stark to shut her up and to thank fifteen-year-old Arya for taking her first kiss back from him under that kissing booth sign with a desk between them.

 

Because it was due to those events that now a twenty-five-year-old Gendry and twenty-three-year-old Arya were on to start their new lives as parents of one-day old little Ned. And to think it all started with just a simple kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like this little thing that popped into my mind that I wrote while watching the matches of Roland Garros and complaining about the outcome of the Champions League final.
> 
> Leave comments if you like, they are very appreciated and make me happy and when I’m happy I get the drive to write this kind of stuff.


End file.
